Shivraj Chouhan and Delhi CM Atishi trade charges over farmer welfare

The Union minister criticised the AAP government of for not implementing the Centre’s welfare schemes for farmers

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in a letter accused the Delhi government of being “anti-farmer” by “obstructing” the implementation of the Centre’s ’ welfare schemes for farmers in the national capital, leading to a war of words between him and Aam Aadmi Party leaders, who hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, alleging that the central government was itself not addressing the demands of protesting farmers in Punjab.

CM Atishi accused the central government of not addressing the demands of protesting farmers in Punjab. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

In a letter to CM Atishi, Chouhan said that the “AAP government never took appropriate decisions in favour of farmers in Delhi.” “...The central government’s farmer-friendly schemes have also been obstructed from being implemented in Delhi by your government. Today, farmers in Delhi are very troubled and worried...” he said in the letter.

He also criticised the AAP government of “deceiving” the farmers and for failing to address the concerns earlier raised regarding the non-implementation of several farmer welfare schemes of the central government, including the Integrated Horticulture Development Mission, National Agricultural Development Scheme, and Seed Village Program.

“Not only has your government failed to implement the central government’s farmer welfare schemes in Delhi, but your policies have also been anti-agriculture and anti-farmer. Farmers in Delhi have informed me that the registration of essential agricultural equipment like tractors and harvesters is being categorized under commercial vehicles, forcing them to purchase their equipment at higher prices,” said Chouhan. He urged the Delhi CM to take decisions in the interest of farmers and ensure that they receive scheme benefits.

However, CM Atishi, in response, said that the BJP was “politicising the farmers’ issues” even as she demanded that the central government address the demands being raised by protesting farmers in Punjab, where the AAP is in power.

“The plight of farmers has never been as dire as it has been under the BJP’s rule. Shivraj Singh Chauhan should address the farmers’ ongoing hunger strike in Punjab over their demands and ask PM Narendra Modi to engage in a dialogue with them,” Atishi said in a statement.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal too addressed the issue. In a post on X, he said: “If anything happens to farmers sitting on indefinite hunger strike in Punjab over their demands, BJP will be responsible.”

Later in a post on X put out by his office, Chouhan hit back at the AAP leaders. “Farmers from Delhi (recently) met me, they are not getting the benefits of many schemes....the Centre sends the money for the schemes on the proposal of the state government. The central government did not receive any proposals from the Delhi government for many schemes, so the farmers of Delhi did not get the benefits of those schemes. The Delhi government did not even send a proposal for our Beej Gram scheme,” he said.

Political competition, Chouhan said, “should not become an obstacle in the welfare of farmers”.

“Both the Centre and the state should jointly implement the welfare schemes of the farmer at the grassroot level,” he added.